THE BIRTH OF A NATION

 Official Trailer Analysis 

The trailer begins by displaying the production logo and a couple awards from film festivals to establish it is prestigious and well-received by critics. The panning establishing shot presents a cotton field and is accompanied by non-diegetic gloomy piano instrumental and a hopeful voiceover: ‘you got purpose’. The editing of the immediate cut to a black man picking cotton quickly establishes this is a period piece and teaches the audience that race is the key subject matter discussed within this film. The crosscut onto a young black boy’s face (we can assume is his younger self) creates an emotive reaction and allows for audiences to feel his hurt. The next over the shoulder shot spotlight’s the white lady’s insulting facial expressions as she tells the boy ‘Your kind wouldn’t understand’ the things there is to learn in books. The mise-en-scene of the positioning of her hand on his chin is clearly disparaging and derogatory as though he is worth less because of his race. The mise-en-scene of her costume - light green satin dress and tight curls - establishes her wealth and privilege and therefore highlights the power she holds over him.

 As the camera cuts back to the cotton field, the wide angel shot of the man completing labour juxtaposed against the ladies voice over ‘you’re special’ creates irony for the treatment he endures is inhumane. The black screen with white text reading ‘based on a true story’ creates sensitivity and engages audiences for the story is based upon real issues. A non-diegetic minor-key underscore begins as the camera is in a wide angle shot which presents the mise-en-scene of a white man whipping the black slaves as they work to present his white privilege. The emotive voiceover continues which tells a narrative of slavery and is accompanied by series of clips follow presenting scenes of black people chained, offering themselves up for slavering, crying, shaking, whipping etc.

A love interest is introduced into the narrative as seen through a reaction, over the shoulder shot and the mise-en-scene of a bunch of flowers which connote that there is a potential relationship to be formed. In the next scene the protagonist is also presented as a strong-willed individual; he stands up against the white bully by grabbing the whip which is shown in shot reverse shot presenting his angry facial expression and implying a revolt is to come. The cross fade into the next scene of whipping captured in wide shot presents the result of rebellion against racism. The focus upon his tearful face and his anguish, the piano instrumental and the heightened diegetic sound of the whip come together to create empathy from the audience. The quick editing between each short scene moves the narrative along: the cotton field, the protagonist’s beating scars, crying, praying etc. The non-diegetic music and the diegetic dialogue becomes hopeful: ‘we’re gonna fight’ which is followed by hundreds of black people carrying pitchforks, rising up against injustice. This is a visual code of change; a revolution of change. Rise up by Andra plays (non-diegetic music) is an audible code of what’s to come: they will ‘rise up’ and plays over a montage of clips showing rebellion and aspiration towards equality. This trailer presents the sickening struggle of black slaves and their treatment as subhuman through visual and sound codes.